National Review: ''Gay Soldier Uses Media to Mock the Military''

Gay Soldier Uses Media to Mock the Military

The National Review - The Tank
By - Elaine Donnelly
Tuesday, January 15, 2008


Elaine Donnelly, Army Morale Expert

Once again, activists for gays in the military have capitalized on the contradictions of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to push their relentless agenda. And the Department of the Army is helping them do it. The story du jour centers on Sgt. Darren Manzella, a soldier who says he was retained in the Army even though he had told his commanders in August 2006 that he is a homosexual. Manzella publicized his story in a December 16, 2007, segment of CBS’ 60 Minutes. Interviewed by correspondent Lesley Stahl without official authorization, just before his unit’s return from Kuwait, Manzella showed off several bare-chested photos and a video of himself passionately kissing his boyfriend. {Jealous! - ed}

Sgt. Manzella claimed that he had presented these items to his commanders in August, 2006, after he received anonymous e-mails cautioning him to “turn down the flame.” At a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on January 8, Manzella further claimed that he was “cleared” and the case was “closed.” We don’t know whether the Army investigated the anonymous e-mails or Sgt. Manzella’s homosexual conduct, but a photo(Undisciplined soldiers pictured below) of Manzella posed with a mixed-gender group of “Army buddies” partying in casual beachwear suggests that the unit was not a model of discipline {Remember,one must always show their highest level of discipline and military readiness when at the beach... -ed}

Prior to his news conference, Manzella told USA Today reporter Andrea Stone that he had been asked to join a confidential MySpace group for 600 homosexuals in the military who have not revealed their names. Stone reported this unsupported claim at face value. Her article also noted that CMR has tried for weeks to obtain reliable information on the case from Army authorities, to no avail. (Several gay websites have denounced CMR’s appropriate and courteous phone calls to obtain reliable information as “harassment” of Army officials.)

Three weeks after the 60 Minutes program, Army spokesman Paul Boyce finally issued a statement to the media pointing out that it was “premature to speculate on any future actions until situation can be considered by his chain of command.” In a January 8 phone conversation, Boyce explained that Sgt. Manzella’s unit, which recently returned from Kuwait, is on customary “block leave” for several weeks. Officials at Fort Hood, therefore, are not available to comment on Sgt. Manzella’s “personal situation” that, Boyce said, became public on 60 Minutes only a few weeks ago.


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